Prickly Sensation
by King Kiashi
Summary: If somebody doesn't show up to lunch for three hours, you know something's not right. Sakura has a bad feeling about all of this. When she goes to Naruto's apartment to see what's the deal, she finds him in a state that horrifies her. Oneshot


A/N: Hello, everybody! This is a nice little oneshot I've written. I haven't got much to say about it, except that I hope you reading it as much as I did writing it. Please, leave a review! I'd love to hear your opinion of it.

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><p>People walked along the streets of Konoha, going about their daily business. Many glanced at her as they strode by, and Sakura wasn't sure if it was fact she was simply standing there, her anxious expression, or her pink hair. Perhaps all three. She didn't care which. Her legs were beginning to ache, but she refused to sit down. She was waiting on somebody. And that 'somebody' happened to be Naruto.<p>

It wasn't the fact she had to wait that irritated her, she was used to waiting. Kakashi was often late to everything, and she'd grown used to waiting on _him_. But this was different. It was the fact that Naruto and her were going to eat Ichiraku Ramen together, and he wasn't there. When they ate together at Ichiraku, she could count on him being there. But _he wasn't there_.

A frown tugged at the corners of her lips, and she shifted her weight on her right leg. She turned her head and looked at the Ichiraku Ramen stand next to her, her eyebrows knitting together, forming a scowl. The ramen stand looked as lively and welcoming as usual. The sky was a brilliant blue, with a few clouds drifting lazily on by. The sun was high up in the sky, its magnificent golden rays shining down upon the bustling streets of Konoha. It was a beautiful day.

One question ringed through Sakura's mind, ever present, never leaving. It shattered the peaceful air of her day. It slowly snipped her cords of leisure, and she found herself unable to relax. _Where was he?_ At first, it wasn't so bad. She had stood there, curious as to where he'd disappeared to, wondering why he was late. Then that curiosity seemed to shift toward anxiety. She'd been waiting for three hours. It didn't look like he was going to show up at all, so why was she still waiting on him?

_ Because he wouldn't ditch me. _She answered herself. Doubt wormed into her brain. _Or would he?_ The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head in an attempt to knock the worrisome words out of her head. Unfortunately, her attempt seemed unsuccessful.

Sakura sighed. _It's okay. I'll just go to his apartment and see if I can find him there. _She decided. She stretched her stiff muscles, yawning, and began walking down the street. Her concerned thoughts still persisted though, like a pack of angry wolves nipping at her heels. Her hands tightened into fists. _He's okay. He probably just fell asleep or something. Or maybe he forgot. Or maybe something came up and he's busy. He's fine._ She reassured herself. She repeated the same thoughts the whole way down the street, until Naruto's apartment complex came into view. She halted for a moment, staring at the building. There was a strange feeling slowly developing in the back of her mind, too slow and miniscule to be noticed, but enough to make her stop. She frowned, and pushed the feeling out of her head. _It's nothing. _She reassured herself.

The young shinobi felt a bead of sweat trickle down her brow. She raised an arm and wiped the moisture away. _Why am I sweating? _She wondered. Shaking her head again, she continued down the street. _I don't understand why I'm so worried. Naruto not showing up for lunch doesn't __**sound**__ like a big deal, and yet somehow it is. _She twitched her eyebrow. Some people still glanced as her as she moved by. She wondered if they sensed the sudden tension she felt in the air too.

Sakura reached the stairs to Naruto's apartment complex. The stairs were made of rusting old metal, looking to have been once painted green. She'd long since become used to the filthy stairs of the apartment complex. But today, as she made her way up the steps, something just didn't seem right. She could hear the high-pitched _crrreeeaaaaaakkkkk_ of the steps as her black boots made contact with them, and for some reason it sounded louder than usual. Unnerved, she climbed the steps more hastily until she reached Naruto's floor. The strangle feeling returned, a prickly sensation crawling up her spine like a spider. It was stronger, more profound this time, and she clenched her teeth. _Something isn't right. _She thought.

Sakura realized that it was quiet. Quieter than usual. The pink-haired teenager was on the verge of bolting away, but she forced herself to move toward the door to Naruto's apartment. Fear was developing in her mind. There was something extremely unsettling about all of it, and she wasn't sure whether or not she wanted to know the cause of it. She raised her hand to knock on the door when she notice something. Her hand was shaking. She gulped, and rapped on the door lightly with her trembling fist. The knocking sound seemed louder than usual too. Too loud. It made her cringe slightly.

There was no answer. She waited for a good five minutes, but the door didn't open. She didn't even hear anything inside. _Maybe he's not home? _She thought. But she had a feeling that her explanation wasn't true.

Her whole body was now trembling. She reached a shaky hand and grasped the doorknob. She _had_ to investigate. The knob turned, and the door opened with ease. She blinked. _If he weren't home, he'd lock the door, wouldn't he?_ She thought. Mystified, she hesitantly stepped inside her blonde teammate's home.

She was greeted by an eerie, dead silence, one that made her wonder if she'd gone deaf. Naruto's apartment was a mess, as usual. Candy wrappers and empty ramen cups littered the floor, blankets and clothing were scattered everywhere, like as if his washer had exploded. There was a small wooden coffee table in the center of the room, cluttered with open books and scrolls, which might've surprised her had it been a normal day. She winced. The prickling sensation was stronger, and it made her squirm slightly. Something was off about his apartment, something she couldn't quite explain.

The young kunoichi moved further into the apartment, maneuvering through her whiskered friend's minefield of trash.

"Naruto?" She called, her voice ringing through the whole apartment. It too, seemed louder in the unsettling quietness. There was no answer. The silence returned, dark and foreboding, like as if she'd never spoken.

Sakura bit her lip. She had a feeling she wasn't alone, but if that were true, then why was it so quiet? She took a few cautious steps forward, and as about to pass the entryway into the kitchen when she stopped dead. It almost seemed like time froze. Her breath caught in her throat, her body unmoving, as if paralyzed. The only thing that never stopped was her heart, which was now beating franticly. Her heartbeat seemed to echo across her whole body, across the entire house.

She saw a familiar shape lying on the kitchen floor behind the table. She could make out a shock of blonde hair, and an unmistakable black-and-orange jacket. It was Naruto. She could feel herself shuddering violently at the sight of his body. The kitchen was cast in a dim, weak light, different from the rest of the house. She could make out a gallon jug in his hand, and something yellow spilled out across the floor.

It took several minutes for her mind to return to her. She parted her lips to speak his name, but no words came out. It took every inch of willpower for her to enter the kitchen. The sound her black ninja boots made as she walked on the tiled floor seemed hollow. When she was a foot away from his body, she squatted down to examine the gallon jug in his hand. The pale complexion of Naruto's skin didn't escape her notice. The jug had a label on it, one that was torn up and the writing almost indistinguishable. After a minute of scrutinizing the ragged label, Sakura managed to make out the word "MILK". She grimaced when she saw the pungent, chunky yellow substance leaking out of the jug. _That's milk? It certainly doesn't look like milk!_ She thought.

The medical ninja peered at the expiration date. The black letters were faded in some areas, but she still was able to read it. Her face twisted into an expression of horror. The milk was three years old! She found her eyes traveling up Naruto's outstretched, limp arm and to his face. His mouth hug ajar, and she could see the disgusting yellow milk leaking out of it. She grimaced at the sight. What was he thinking? Her eyes widened when all the information clicked together. Food poisoning. A severe case, at that. Her hands tightened into fists. _How could I have been so blind? Standing there for three hours while he was suffering._ She unclenched her fists, and a sigh escaped her throat. _I shouldn't blame myself. I didn't know, now did I?_ She reasoned.

Sakura reached forward and plucked the gallon jug out of Naruto's hand. She rose, holding the contaminated substance at an arm's length from her, and approached her blonde teammate's sink. There were some once-white dishes coated in food and grime lying in it. Apparently Naruto hadn't thought of washing his dishes. She tipped the jug over and heard the _Glunk! Glunk! Glunk! _as the expired milk chugged down the drain. She threw the jug in the trash can, and made her way back to her teammate. She crouched down and laid her head against his chest. Sakura could hear the steady _thump…thump…thump…_of Naruto's heart, and feel the rise of his chest as he breathed. _Sounds and feels alright. _She thought.

The young ninja slipped her hands under Naruto's armpits and lifted him into a sitting position. She dragged him over and rested him against a cabinet. Sakura reached up and grabbed a towel that was hanging from the top of the cabinet door. She gently wiped the mucky milk that was dripping from his chin.

"Don't worry." She whispered to him, even though he could not hear her. "I'll take good care of you." She stooped down and lifted him into her arms. She carried him out of the kitchen and into his bedroom, setting him down on the bed. She paused, and took a good, long look at him. Save for his pale skin, he looked rather fine. The food poisoning might not have been as severe as she had thought it would be. _But then why would he fall unconscious? _She wondered.

Sakura sat down beside him on the bed, her eyebrows knitted together as she mulled over the question. _Maybe the sudden rush of all that toxic fluid entering his body shocked it into shutting down so it could deal with it?_ She thought. The kunoichi raised her head. _That makes sense!_ She stood up from her sitting position and made her way out of the room. She nearly tripped and fell over a scroll lying on the floor, but she managed to regain her balance. Glaring at the scroll, she carefully made her way into the kitchen, eyeing all the clutter on the floor warily as she moved. Sakura popped open the refrigerator door, and a frown fell on her face. It was empty, save for two ramen cups in the far back. She looked at the inside of the door and spotted what she was looking for. The young ninja grabbed the small water bottle and shut the refrigerator door. She raced back down the hall to his room, and tripped over a blue laundry basket, crashing into the floor with a large _thump!_

"Oww…." Sakura groaned in pain. _Now I'm going to have to make him clean this place up someday. _She mentally grumbled. _How can he even get around this place?_ She painfully stood up, wincing as she felt a light jolt of pain in her knee. Sighing, she limped back into his room and collapsed onto his bed.

"Your house is like the inside of a trash can, but worse." She remarked, even though he was unconscious. She sat up and unscrewed the cap to the bottle. The pink-haired ninja gently tipped Naruto's head back, and slowly poured the water down his throat. She did this until the bottle was completely empty. _Need to be hydrated! _She thought with a smile. Sakura scanned the room for a trash can, but found none.

"Really?" She narrowed her eyes at him, and set the bottle down on his wooden dresser.

She sat on his bed for around a half hour, fiddling with his blonde hair, looking rather restless. She wanted him to wake up, but apparently that wouldn't be soon. She finally stood up, and exited the room, stepping through the hallway and through his kitchen until she was in his living room. Curiosity pricked her mind as her eyes landed on the books and scrolls lying on his table. _They're probably just training books. _She thought, but something told her it wasn't so. She sat down on his couch and picked up one of the books, and peeked inside. It was written in a story format. She blinked in surprise.

"He reads." She stated blankly, staring at the page. Sakura set the book down. "He actually reads."

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><p>It was another two hours before Sakura heard Naruto beginning to stir. She'd long since made her way back into his room and was sitting on the edge of his bed reading one of his books. Her eyes bolted up from the page, a startled look on her face. The blonde ninja's eyes opened, his cerulean orbs cloudy and looking unfocused. He blinked, and laid there for a few moments, simply staring up at his white ceiling. Then he seemed to notice that he wasn't alone. Hs eyes turned sharply in her direction, widening as he saw her.<p>

"S..Sakura?" A bewildered look crossed his face, and his gaze shifted from her to the book in her hands. "Why are you here reading my book…?" Sakura blinked, and looked at the book, then back at him. A sheepish smile tugged at her lips.

"Uh…well…" She struggled to find the right words to say, when Naruto suddenly sat up. She started and dropped the book, her jade-green eyes wide.

"I remember! We were supposed to have lunch, right?" He asked.

"Yes… five and a half hours ago…" She replied. His eyes stared at her in shock.

"Five and a half hours ago? What happ…Ohhhhh! I drank some milk! And, well, then the world went black. Have I been _sleeping_ the whole time?" Sakura nodded her head at him. She brought her legs up onto his bed and faced him, crossing them as she did so.

"Yea. Tell me Naruto, _what_ would make you even THINK it was a good idea to drink milk that expired three years ago? It was chunky and YELLOW!" He shrugged at her, and lowered his eyes.

"Because I'm stupid." He mumbled in reply. She shook her head at him, and sighed.

"Don't think like that. You…you were just thirsty, and didn't bother looking at the jug, right?"

"I guess. I'm sorry for all of this." He hung his head, and his shoulders slumped. She scooted closer to him, and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. Look on the bright side. We can just have dinner together." Naruto winced, and clutched his stomach.

"I don't think I'll be having dinner for a long time." He replied.


End file.
